Fruity Chutes Drone Parachute Recovery System Part of the Matternet M2 system, received first non-military FAA type approval
DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby
fruity shootannounced a partnership with, a leading provider of parachute retrieval systems for UAS. mat net Obtain FAA type approval.
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Fruity Chutes are drone optimized for Matternet iris ultra light Parachute with important safety parts such as shock cords and harnesses. By successfully obtaining certification, Fruity Chutes has established itself as the first UAS recovery company to have a drone parachute complete his four-year FAA evaluation process.
Fruity Chutes’ Iris Ultralight and accompanying safety components have been integrated with Matternet’s M2 drone over the course of the two companies’ six-year collaboration.Integrated with M2 drones to meet all parachute retrieval requirements 96 inch Iris Ultralight 3rd party tested ASTM F3322-18 standardFlight testing of at least 45 parachute deployments under a variety of conditions is required. The FAA’s type approval process also requires systems that utilize parachutes to successfully perform hundreds to thousands of hours of flight time, depending on population density. For systems without a parachute, this time is doubled.
“This lengthy process is to argue your safety with the FAA, and parachutes help you make that claim. It reduces the statistical odds of injury, death, and other accidents.” said Gene Engelgau, Founder and CEO of Fruity Chutes. “Safety has always been our priority, and this achievement reaffirms the safety and reliability of parachutes.”
Jim O’Sullivan, Vice President of Regulatory Strategy at Matternet, said: “They helped us with our design and certainly helped us integrate the product. We are pleased with the quality of the Fruity Chutes product.”
Fruity Chutes and Matternet have had a strong partnership since 2015. Matternet decided to adopt Fruity Chutes parachutes as part of its FAA Type Certification safety strategy in 2016. The two companies will continue to work together to lead the safety practices of the UAS industry.
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Ian attended Dominican University in California and graduated with a BA in English in 2019. With his lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and keen interest in technology, he now contributes to his DroneLife as a staff writer.
Miriam McNabb, editor-in-chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of professional drone services marketplace JobForDrones, is a fascinating observer of the emerging drone industry and drone regulatory environment. With her 3,000+ articles focused on the commercial drone space, Miriam is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and high tech she has over 20 years of experience in sales and marketing new technologies.
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